Analysis of Antioxidant Activity and Texture Profile of Tender-Young and King Coconut (Cocos nucifera) Mesocarps under Different Treatments and the Possibility to Develop a Food Product.

The present study is aimed at analyzing the antioxidant activity using the free radical 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method and the texture using the Brookfield texture analyzer for blanched-solar dried, blanched-cooled with dehumidification, unblanched-solar dried, and unblanched-cooled with dehumidification mesocarps of two varieties of tender coconut, such as King coconut and Young coconut. Under the different treatments, there was a significant difference in the antioxidant activity and texture parameters such as "hardness" and "chewiness" at 5% level of significance. The highest (421.8 ± 12.33 mg/L) and the lowest (856.67±6.72 mg/L) antioxidant activities were recorded for blanched-solar dried mesocarp of King coconut and unblanched-cooled with dehumidification mesocarp of Young coconut, respectively. The texture analysis shows that there is a significant difference in the "hardness" and "chewiness" under different treatments at 5% level of significance. Among the treated mesocarps highest "hardness" value (6619.7±147.1) and "chewiness" value (1079.3±54.90) were recorded for King coconut blanched-solar dried mesocarp and lowest "hardness" value (595.67±36.88) and "chewiness" value (12.634±0.836) were recorded for Young coconut blanched-cooled with dehumidification mesocarp. Since the blanched-solar dried mesocarp of King Coconut has highest antioxidant activity and lowest "chewiness", it is more suitable to develop a food product.

[Quantitative salivary gland scintigraphy--a recommended examination prior to and after radioiodine therapy]. / Die quantitative Sialoszintigraphie--eine sinnvolle Untersuchung im Vorfeld und in der Nachsorge der Radiojodtherapie.

AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate possible deterioration of salivary gland function due to radioiodine therapy with low activities using standardized quantitative salivary gland scintigraphy (qSZ). In addition, the prevalence of sialopathies was estimated in patients with thyroid dysfunction. METHODS: Prior to routine thyroid scintigraphy qSZ was performed after i.v. injection of 36-126 MBq 99mTc-pertechnetate, and both uptake and excretion fraction were calculated as a measure of parenchymal function and saliva excretion, respectively 312 healthy patients served as reference for a normal data base. 144 patients underwent qSZ prior to and 3 months after radioiodine therapy. Results of qSZ in another 674 thyroid patients were evaluated for determining the prevalence of salivary gland dysfunction. RESULTS: Normal uptake was 0.45 +/- 0.14% and 0.39 +/- 0.12%, and normal excretion fraction amounted to 49.5 +/- 10.6% and 39.1 +/- 9.2% in parotid and submandibular glands, respectively. Despite salivary gland stimulation with ascorbic acid during radioiodine therapy a significant activity-related functional impairment of 14-90% could be measured after application of 0.4-24 GBq of 131I. Prevalence of pretreatment sialopathies was 77/674 = 11.4% in single glands, and there was a global salivary gland functional impairment in 52/674 = 7.7%. CONCLUSION: Together with thyroid scintigraphy qSZ is an easy to perform examination without additional radiation burden. It can be recommended in all patients prior to and after radioiodine therapy both in order to quantify and to document possible parenchymal impairment induced even by low activities of 131I.

A microsurgical technique for renal transplantation in mice.

A modified technique for the transplantation of primarily vascularized mouse kidneys is described in which the donor was prepared by exposure of the left kidney, dissection of the suprarenal aorta and vena cava and of the ureter and bladder. The recipient was prepared by exposure of the infrarenal aorta and vena cava and isolation of approximately 1 cm of these vessels by proximal and distal 4/0 silk ties. The donor kidney was then perfused and removed to the recipient with the ureter and bladder. The transplant was completed by microsurgical end-to-side anastomosis of the aorta to aorta and vena cava to vena cava and the donor ureter was attached to the recipient bladder via a bladder patch. This technique differed significantly from the previously published technique in using cuffs of donor suprarenal aorta and vena cava rather than dissecting the base of the renal vessels. These changes made the operation easier and reduced ischaemia time from 35-40 to 25-30 min, a substantial improvement which increased both organ and recipient survival.

Essential fatty acid deficiency increases interstitial IA-positive cells in rat kidney and accelerates renal allograft rejection.

Essential fatty acid deficiency has been reported to result in depletion of interstitial macrophages from rat kidneys and to permit transplantation of these kidneys across a fully allogeneic barrier without need for immunosuppression. In view of the potential for application of this phenomenon to xenografts, this study attempted to confirm the observation. Kidneys from rats fed normal or essential fatty-acid-deficient diets were transplanted to DA recipients. The donors' livers and contralateral kidneys were analyzed for their fatty acid profile in liver phospholipids, and the kidneys were examined by immunohistology for interstitial Ia(+) cells. EFAD resulted in an increase in renal interstitial Ia(+) cells detected by MRC-OX6 (anti-RT1Bpublic) from 13.5 +/- 2.9 (control diet fed rats) to 22.8 +/- 3.6 in rats on a stringent EFAD diet. Graft survival of kidneys from these EFAD rats was significantly shorter than that of kidneys from control diet fed rats. In direct contrast to the original report, this study found that EFAD caused a marked increase in renal interstitial Ia(+) cells and a reduction in allograft survival of EFAD donor kidneys.